The present invention generally relates to a finishing apparatus for a textile product and more particularly relates to an apparatus that automatically hems, folds, and sews a piece of material into a high quality valance.
Generally described, a valance is an ornamental window treatment. A valance typically extends across the top portion of a window frame and window. The design of a typical valance is shown in FIGS. 1-3. As is shown, a valance 10 may be made from a single piece of a textile material 20. The piece of material 20 may include a cotton fabric, a blend of cotton and synthetic fabrics, or other types of traditional textile materials.
The piece of material 20 may have a first end 21, a second end 22, a first side 23, and a second side 24. The sides 23, 24 of the piece of material 20 may be folded over and sewn to create a first side hem 30 and a second side hem 35. The piece of material 20 may then be folded with the first end 21 folded over the second end 22 so as to create a front side 46 and a backside 47. The piece of material 20 may then be hemmed transversely so as to create the valance 10 with a top pocket 50, a hanger pocket 55, and a bottom pocket 60. A first hem line 65 and a second hem line 70 may be used to create the pockets 50, 55, 60. The valance 10 may then be hung adjacent to a window from a frame or a hanger of some sort that extends through the hanger pocket 55. The bottom pocket 60 may be filled with paper or other types of materials so as to create a textured appearance.
Traditionally, the valance 10 is generally manufactured by hand. The manufacturing process, however, may be time consuming and expensive. A high quality valance 10 generally requires that the sides 23, 24 and the pockets 50, 55, 60 be even and aligned so as to provide a uniform appearance. Consistently centering the sides 23, 24, however, has proven to be difficult. The production volume for an acceptable valance in the manual or the known manufacturing processes, therefore, has been relatively low.
What is needed, therefore, is a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a valance in an automated, consistent process. The method and apparatus should accurately create a high quality valance in a high-speed manner while being reasonable in terms of costs and manpower.
The present invention thus provides an apparatus for manufacturing a valance with a number of transverse pockets from a continuous strip of material. The apparatus may include a feed pull assembly positioned along a predetermined path for pulling a predetermined length of the continuous strip of material onto a tabletop, a cutter assembly for cutting the predetermined length of the material from the strip, a first fold assembly to fold a first end of the length of the material, a second fold assembly to fold a second end of the length of the material under the first end, and a hemming assembly to sew the transverse pockets. Specific embodiments of the present invention may include the use of a programmable logic controller to control the feed pull assembly, the cutter assembly, the first fold assembly, the second fold assembly, and the hemming assembly.
The apparatus also may include an unwind assembly positioned along the predetermined path. The unwind assembly may include a number of rollers so as to support the continuous strip of material on a roll. The unwind assembly also may include a dancer assembly to pull the predetermined length of the strip of material off of the roll. The dancer assembly may include a stationary roller and a dancer roller such that the dancer roller pulls the material over the stationary roller.
The cutter assembly may include a blade operated by a hydraulic cylinder. The feed pull assembly may include a feed pull gripper operated by a motor. The hemming assembly may include a first sewing head and a second sewing head positioned on a tabletop.
The apparatus may further include a side hem apparatus positioned adjacent to the feed pull assembly along the predetermined path. The side hem apparatus may include a tabletop with a dimension of lesser amount than a dimension of the predetermined length of the material. A first side and a second side of the material may fall over the tabletop. The side hem apparatus may include an advancement device so as to advance the material along the tabletop. The advancement device may include an advancement belt driven by a motor. The advancement device also may include a first advancement device positioned on a first side of the tabletop and a second advancement device positioned on a second side of the tabletop.
The side hem apparatus may include a fold apparatus so as to fold the first side and the second side of the material. The side fold apparatus may include a pulley system so as to fold the first side and the second side of the material under the tabletop. The side fold apparatus may include a first side fold apparatus positioned on the first side of the tabletop to fold the first side of the material and a second side fold apparatus positioned on the second side of the tabletop to fold the second side. The side hem apparatus may include a first side hemming device and a second side hemming device so as to hem the material along both sides.
The apparatus may further include a transfer assembly positioned along the predetermined path so as maneuver the material in a perpendicular fashion. The transfer assembly may include an in-take roller assembly extending in a first direction and an out-take roller assembly extending in a second direction. The roller assemblies may each have a drive belt driven by a motor and also a lift bar so as to provide motion in the vertical direction. When the in-take roller assembly is engaged on the material, the out-take roller assembly is raised. When the out-take roller assembly is engaged on the material, the in-take roller assembly is raised.
The first fold assembly may include a tabletop. The tabletop may have a dimension of lesser amount than a dimension of the material such that a first end of the material falls over the tabletop. The first fold assembly may include a first side advancement system and a second side advancement system positioned along the tabletop. The advancement systems each may include a drive belt and a motor such that the motor drives the drive belt and the material at a predetermined speed. The motor may include a servo-motor. The tabletop may include a first side fold plate. The first fold assembly also may include a fold system position adjacent to the first side fold plate. The fold system folds the first end of the material under the fold plate until a first fold is formed. The fold system may include a number of drive belts driven by a motor. The first fold plate may end along the predetermined path about where the second side advancement system begins, such that the first end of the material may be advanced between the first side advancement system and the second side advancement system.
The first fold assembly may include a first sensor positioned over the tabletop, a second sensor positioned under the tabletop, and a control system operative with the first sensor, the second sensor, and the motor of the second side drive system. The first sensor and the second sensor may detect if the first fold is even along the predetermined path such that the control system may alter the speed of the motor by a predetermined amount.
The second fold assembly may include a tabletop. The tabletop may have a dimension of lesser amount than a dimension of the material such that a second end of the material falls over the tabletop. The second fold assembly may include a first side advancement system and a second side advancement system positioned along the tabletop. The first side and the second side advancement systems may each have a drive belt and a motor such that the motor drives the drive belt and the material at a predetermined speed. The motor may include a servo-motor. The second fold assembly may include a tucker assembly positioned along the tabletop so as to fold the second end of the material. The tucker assembly may include a belt to carry the lower side of the material along the underside of the plate and hold the material while a final small amount of the material is tucked into the fold to form a hem.
The second fold assembly may include a first sensor positioned over the tabletop, a second sensor positioned under the tabletop, and a control system operative with the first sensor, the second sensor, and the motor of the second fold drive system. The first sensor and the second sensor may detect if the second fold is even along the predetermined path such that the control system may alter the speed of the motor by a predetermined amount.
A method of the present invention provides for creating a valance from a continuous strip of material in a high-speed manner. The method includes the steps of pulling a predetermined length of material onto a tabletop, cutting the length of material from the continuous strip, advancing the material along the tabletop, folding a first end of the material against itself, folding a second end of the material against the first end, and hemming the material transversely to form a number of pockets therein.
A further embodiment of the present invention provides for an advancement device for a folded textile product. The textile product may have a first section and a second section. The device may include a tabletop with a first side and a second side. A first side advancement system may be positioned along the first side of the tabletop and a second side advancement system may be positioned along the second side of the tabletop. The advancement systems each may include an advancement belt driven by a motor. The textile product may be wrapped about the tabletop with the first section extending along the first side of the tabletop and driven by the advancement belt of the first side advancement system and the second section extending along the second side of the tabletop and driven by the advancement belt of the second side advancement system. A first sensor may be positioned about the first side of the tabletop and a second sensor may be positioned about the second side of the tabletop. The sensors may determine if the first section of the textile product is advancing evenly with the second section.
The motor of the second side advancement system may include a servo-motor. The servo-motor may have a predetermined speed. The predetermined speed of the servo-motor may be altered by a predetermined amount depending upon position of the second side of the textile product with respect to the first side as determined by the sensors. The predetermine amount may include a predetermined number of counts of the servo-motor. The second side advancement system may include a number of skis positioned about the advancement belt. A control system may control the motor of the first or the second side advancement system with respect to the sensors.
A further method of the present invention provides for advancing a piece of material in a high speed manner. The method includes the steps of pulling the material onto a fold plate having a top side and a bottom side, folding the material about the top side and the bottom side of the fold plate so as to form a first side and a second side, advancing the material along the top side and the bottom side of the fold plate at a predetermined speed, monitoring the advancement of the first side and the second side of the material along the tabletop, and altering the predetermined speed if the first side or the second side of the material are not in alignment.
A further embodiment of the present invention provides for a folding device for forming a fold in a sheet of a textile material. The device includes a tabletop having a lesser dimension than a dimension of the sheet such that an end of the sheet hangs over the tabletop. A first side advancement system may be positioned on the top of the tabletop to advance the sheet thereon. A fold assembly may be positioned adjacent to the tabletop to fold the end of the sheet under the tabletop. A second side advancement system may be positioned on the bottom of the tabletop to hold the end of the sheet under the tabletop. The tabletop may have an aperture therein so as to allow the end of the sheet to rise on top of the tabletop and to form the fold.
The advancement systems each may have a drive belt and a servo-motor. The servo-motor may drive the drive belt and the sheet at a predetermined speed. The fold assembly may include a number of drive belts driven by a motor such that each of the drive belts folds the end of the sheet until the end is held underneath the tabletop. The device also may have a first sensor positioned over the tabletop, a second sensor positioned under the tabletop, and a control system operative with the first sensor, the second sensor, and the motor of the second side advancement system. The sensors may detect if the sheet is even along the top and the bottom of the tabletop. The control system may alter the predetermined speed of the servo-motor by a predetermined amount if the sheet is not even.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be come apparent upon review of the following specification, when taken in conjunction with the drawings and the appended claims.